Our lips go through so much every day. From the harsh sun rays to frequent licking to dryness and dehydrated skin. We usually turn a blind eye to our lips care during our skincare routine, and more often than not, our lips bear the brunt of our lazy habits and seasonal changes. While we protect our skin with sunscreens and clothes, the dry AC air indoors, change in weather conditions, remnants of spicy food and lack of drinking adequate water are some of the reasons that lead to dry, chapped, flaky and dehydrated lips. The skin on our lips is extremely thin, sensitive and delicate, which is why it dries and gets affected more quickly than the rest of the skin on our body. Fighting dry, chapped lips is an endless all-year-round problem for some people, and the best way to fight them is to take as much care of them as possible. Read on to know tips and tricks that help keep your lips supple, healthy and moisturised for 365 days!

Don't lick your lips: A lot of people who have chapped lips are the ones who repeatedly lick their lips. This repeated lip licking can remove the topmost oily surface that protects the lip. The enzymes present in the saliva further irritate the skin and worsen the situation. Licking your lips post a lip-smacking meal or licking them to ‘moisturise’ them instead of actually drinking water does more harm than good.

Drink water: Sipping on water helps keep your skin hydrated. Dehydration is one of the major reasons behind chapped lips. Put alarms or alerts on your phone that remind you to drink water. Drinking any less than 8 glasses will not fulfil your daily requirement.

Use lip balm frequently: Most people dont bother applying lip balms irrespective of their lip condition. They may have chapped, dehydrated lips but the last thing on their mind will be a lip balm. Most people reach for lip balm when their lips are already chapped and have been damaged with all the licking and neglect. Finding the best organic lip balm online is a task. Many brands claim to be organic but load their products with chemicals or use unsustainable methods and practices. Avoid going for the ones that have Eucalyptus, Menthol and Camphor. One of the best ways to wake up to soft, supple lips is to apply a generous amount of your favourite lip moisturising balm overnight. This way, you will have ample hours for your lip balm benefits to do its wondrous uninterrupted work!

Exfoliate weekly: Just like you exfoliate and scrub your face and body to get rid of dead skin cells and any residue buildup, your lips need similar care too. Exfoliate them weekly with a lip scrub DIY to keep your lips moisturised, supple and soft.

Recipe for a Lip Scrub

Ingredients for Lip Balm-

¼ tsp Hemp Nourish & Treat Ayurvedic Lip Butter
¼ tsp Organic Honey
¼ tsp granulated sugar
Empty container/ clean petri dish

Method of preparation & how to scrub lips:
1. Take equal parts of the Hemp lip butter, organic honey and sugar
2. Mix them well in a petri dish using your finger
3. The mixture should have a creamy consistency
4. Clean your lips and wet them with water
5. Take some quantity of the mixture and massage onto the lips
6. Keep it on for 30 seconds to 1 minute
7. Wipe out the excess or rinse with water
8. Reapply the Hemp lip butter to lock in moisture and form a protective layer
9. Follow this ritual twice a week for soft, nourished lips

Benefits of Lip Scrub
. Cures dryness and promotes healing
. Lips become smooth, soft and plump
. Application of lipstick/Lip gloss becomes smooth

Moisturise- If your lips are exposed to too much makeup application and hardly get time to breathe, chances are your lips may feel dry and flaky by the end of the day. In such cases, regular exfoliation and moisturisation ritual is a must. Daily lip moisturisation is an essential activity one must follow before going to bed and applying makeup in the morning. There are ample lip care products such as lipsticks and lip glosses out there that are loaded with pigments and lip-drying ingredients. Frequent application of chemicals also makes the lips and the skin around them visible with fine lines and wrinkles. Hence, picking the right organic lip balm that deals with all your lip concerns is a must.

Lip Balms: At SoulTree, we offer 100% Certified Organic lip balms that restore moisturise and soothe dry, flaky skin. The nourishing blend of 7 cold pressed oils, and Organic Ghee heals, conditions and keeps the lips nourished, soft and supple. The Ayurvedic formulations of our lip balms suit all skin types and have been made without artificial ingredients, ensuring that our lip balms have no tint and fragrance. The convenient and easy-to-hold lip tubes ensure hygiene and easy application without using your fingers.

Lipstick: This Ayurvedic lipstick formulation is enriched with the goodness of Organic Ghee and Almond Oil that keep your lips soft, smooth & hydrated. The creamy, hydrating texture acts as a natural barrier against environmental stressors and protects your lips from damage.

Lip Gloss: With the goodness of all-natural ingredients such as Almond Oil, Wild Honey and Rose Oil, our lightweight & non-sticky lip gloss deeply moisturises, heals chapped lips and nourishes your lips. The lip gloss adds colour, shine and softens the lips.